Debt of the Departed
by TheUltimateChin
Summary: Mere weeks after the events of the Ice Chapter, Cole must go on a new adventure alongside his friends to uncover the secrets of his past in order to determine what will become of his future. All the while, a new foe looms, hell bent on Cole's demise. (Season 11 Spoilers)
1. The Reopening

Cole awoke, shivering, a cold sweat covering his entire body. His blankets were tossed from his bed, his pillows thrown haphazardly against the opposite wall. This was the third time this week that this had happened. Not that it meant anything. Just another aftereffect from long-distance realm travel. Jay had been vomiting for a week after they returned from the Never Realm.

Cole laid on his mattress for a few hours, until their training for the day would begin. The Earth Ninja was glad to have been able to get Zane back, but he secretly wished there was more to do in the frozen realm. He missed adventure. He always missed having a bad guy to face, any time there was a drought in crime. Most of all, he missed Krag. That furry monster had been a great friend, and Cole wondered if he would ever get to see him again.

Cole heard a knock on his door. "Are you awake, Cole?", asked Lloyd, "We should get to training."

"I'm on my way!", said Cole enthusiastically, ready to begin the day. He got dressed, took his hammer, and went to the training ground. Kai, Nya, Lloyd, and Master Wu were already there. Jay, Zane, and PIXAL were notably absent. Jay had likely overslept yet again. PIXAL was probably working with Zane. Apparently his hard drive had been damaged from his time in the Never Realm, and he needed time to make a recovery. The nindroid had barely spoken to anyone besides PIXAL since they had returned to Ninjago.

"Kai, you go with Cole. Lloyd will go with Nya," said Master Wu. Jay walked in just after. "And Jay will go with me."

"What?", said Jay, just before getting whacked in the face with a Bo Staff. "Ouch!"

Cole faced off towards Kai. The Master of Fire smirked as his hands burst into flames.

"Think you can beat me," taunted Kai, "With the full power of fire behind me?"

"Yes, yes I do," retorted Cole as he ran toward Kai. He jumped up, and kicked to Kai's head. The Master of Fire ducked and launched a ball of flame at Cole, who barely dodged out of the way. Cole lunged down, smashing his fists against the ground. The ground shook, and Kai fell. He rolled out of the way of another punch from Cole, and quickly recovered. They faced one another again, when suddenly, PIXAL ran out of the Monastery.

"Red alert!" she cried, "At the bank! There is a heist."

"A bank heist?" remarked Kai, "I can deal with that alone Pix."

"No you won't," said Lloyd, "You need at least two others to accompany you."

"I can help," said Cole, wanting any excuse for an adventure.

"Someone needs to keep the boys in check," said Nya, "I should go with them." Nya and Cole ran out of the Monastery. Kai was already flying down the stairs, three steps at a time.

* * *

The Ninja burst into a dark stone vault. Cole, Nya, and Kai assumed battle-ready positions, facing their foes.

"FIYAH!" yelled Kai, as fire engulfed the room. Two familiar skeletons, Nuckal and Kruncha, began running in circles, now covered in flames. "It feels so good to have my powers back!"

Water rose from a puddle in the corner, forming around Kruncha. He poked his head out and laughed. Nya smirked and closed a fist, freezing the water immediately. Kruncha let out a sigh of indignation.

Nuckal ran forward, only for an arm covered in molten lava to block his path, smashing him to pieces.

"Commissioner, they're all yours!", said Cole, turning to the Police Commissioner, who had just entered the room.

"Thank you, Ninja, for stopping the Hooligans once again!", said the Commissioner.

"Just another day's work,'' said Nya.

"It seems like every day Ninjago is in danger," said the Commissioner, "It's very good to have you Ninja back. By the way, where are the other three?"

"They decided to stay back at the Monastery to train," responded Nya.

"We figured we three could take out a couple of dumb skeletons in no time," remarked Kai.

"You idiot, you got yourself frozen by a WATER ninja!" said Nuckal.

"At least I'm still in one piece," responded Kruncha. Nuckal groaned.

At that moment, two cops entered. One gathered the pieces of Nuckal and put them in a bag. The other tried to lift Kruncha in his ice cube, but was having major difficulties. Cole offered to help, and used his super strength to easily lift the frozen Skulkin.

"I'll bring Kruncha to Kryptarium," said Cole, "You guys can head back to the Monastery without me. Nya, try to keep Kai under control."

"That won't be so easy," responded Nya.

"Alright Cole, see you later!", says Kai, fire still in his eyes. He ran out, Nya chasing behind with a scoff.

Cole carried Kruncha to his Earth Driller outside. There, he placed the frozen skeleton in the backseat and made the journey to Kryptarium. All had gone to plan. It was just another battle won. As Cole began to bring Kruncha into the prison, the skeleton began to speak.

"Cole. You didn't think you could escape forever, did you?"

"What?" Asked Cole, befuddled by the strange remark. He looked up only to see that Kruncha's head, protruding from the ice, was sporting unnatural green eyes. Cole recognized the color. It was the color of a ghost's possession.

"Morro?" Asked Cole, becoming increasingly concerned.

"Not quite,'' said the possessed skeleton, "No, I am your worst nightmare. I am the collector of your debts. You will no longer—"

"Is everything alright?", called the warden from the other side of the hall.

"Everything is fine, thank you!" responded Cole. When he looked back at Kruncha, the Skulkin was unconscious.

"Well, you get some rest then! You'll need it for when these prisoners break out next season."

"What?", asked Cole.

"Oh, nothing," said the warden.

* * *

Cole returned to the Monastery to see all the Ninja, minus Zane and PIXAL. Lloyd was sparring Nya in hand-to-hand combat. Jay was in a discussion with Kai. Wu was observing from the stairs, drinking a hot cup of tea.

"Hello Cole," said Master Wu, "We've heard from Kai that the battle against Nuckal and Kruncha went well."

"And then I was like, 'FIYAHH', and Nuckal was toast!" said Kai to Jay, who looked to be fed up with this story.

"Repeatedly," said Master Wu, "What is wrong Cole? You look troubled."

"Nothing, Master," said Cole, "I just need some sleep." Cole went inside the Monastery, Jay looking suspiciously after him.

Cole fell asleep, only to have haunting dreams. A portal to a dark realm. A mysterious ghost, scars running across its face. A beautiful woman. A dark, yet all too familiar cloud. "Cole. You should be dead."

Cole awoke with a start, gasping for air. This was more than realm-travel sickness. Something was seriously wrong. He looked to his right at his mirror. A green glow reflected back at him. Cole gasped, realizing the severity of his circumstance. His scar had returned, a remnant of his time as a ghost. Cole was scared. More scared than he had been in years. A flurry of memories swept through him, of his previous ghostly form. The fear of fading away. The constant accidental phasing. Above all, the unceasing cold that spread through every inch of his body. He looked at the mirror again. Odd, it did not have the usually stone frame of the mirror he was used to. Nor was it reflecting his bedroom. Cole quickly jumped off the bed, looking around the unfamiliar room. It had gothic upholstery, a tad dusty. On the back wall was a Yin-Yang symbol.

"Hello Cole, it has been a while," said a voice Cole knew all too well.

"Yang?"


	2. The Sensei Without a Student

**Mouth of Lightnin: Glad you like the beginning of the story! DietCoke is a big inpiration of mine (As you can see from the style of this reply XD). Hope you remain intrigued!**

**Nuppa Nuppa: Happy to hear you are enjoying the story!**

* * *

Cole knew where he was now, the Temple of Airjitzu, and Yang, the Sensei without a Student, was standing before him.

"Yes Cole, it is I," said Yang, "And there is something I must tell you."

"What, that my scar has reopened?" Snapped Cole, "Because I've noticed."

Yang looked shocked by his suddenly aggressive disposition. Cole immediately regretted this. He knew Yang was alone in this temple. It had been years since they had visited him. Cole may have still harbored some suppressed anger about their first run-in with Yang, in which Cole had been temporarily removed from the land of the living, but he still believed Yang truly meant to change. He knew Yang had a deep seeded regret, and couldn't help but pity the old ghost.

"I'm sorry, Yang," said Cole, "I didn't mean to do that."

"I understand completely," said Yang, shifting his weight nervously, "But I really must tell you something, and quickly at that. Your scar reopened for a reason. The distance between realms is shortening. It all began with the destruction of the realm crystal. And then when you entered, and subsequently escaped the Never Realm. And when Wu and PIXAL opened a portal to the Departed Realm! They have allowed entrance to that place. They allowed others to escape. And one did. One named—"

Cole heard a crash. He looked to see the door of the room fly open, and Yang shoved him aside.

Cole awoke shivering, with a cold sweat covering his entire body. He was back in the Monastery. But he knew where he needed to be. He needed to set off for the Temple of Airjitzu. He had a new goal in mind, to find the truth. He was determined.

* * *

Jay knew something was wrong. He had been Cole's best friend for a long time. They may have had their differences, and certainly had their arguments, especially during their fight against the Golden Master, but they never talked about that anymore. That was far behind them. Jay, more than anyone else, knew that Cole was acting suspicious, that he had seen something to make him so uneasy. Cole hadn't looked that unnerved since coming face-to-face with an Oni. Something was very wrong.

Jay peeked out of his room just in time to see Cole move into the training grounds. Jay snuck after him.

What was going on?

Cole was walking to the stairs in his Gi, his Hammer strapped to his back, a bag in his hand. Jay assumed it was full of resources. He must have been planning a journey, and a long one at that.

Jay ran across the training ground. Cole turned just in time to see Jay tackling him. Cole exhaled sharply, the wind knocked out of him. Jay pinned him to the ground.

"Where are you going?", asked Jay. Cole groped at Jay's Gi, and tried to answer, but no breath would escape his lungs. "Are you abandoning us? Are you leaving forever? Are you joining Pythor?"

"What?", exclaimed Cole, finally regaining the ability to speak, "Of course not!"

"Then what are you doing?", asked Jay, still holding Cole to the ground. With one arm, Cole lifted Jay off the ground and placed him on his feet. Cole got up from the ground.

"Take a look at my face, will you?", said Cole to the still frantic Jay. Jay's eyes widened.

"Your scar!", he exclaimed, "It's back! How?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," responded Cole, "by going to Yang's Temple."

"Let's go then!", said Jay. Cole would have really rathered to have gone alone, but knew there was no arguing with Jay. The Master of Lightning was exceptionally stubborn.

"We are coming as well," said a female voice from behind the two ninja. They turned around. PIXAL stood there with her Samurai X mech, Zane a few steps behind. "Zane is recovering, and we need to test his skills. This will be the perfect way. Please, Cole."

Cole rolled his eyes. He truly wished to go alone, but if Zane needed it, of course he would let them come. Cole would do anything for his brothers. A single man expedition had just expanded to a man, two nindroids, and Jay.

"Fine, but let's go now," said Cole, "I'm not sure what we will find at Yang's Temple."

"At least there aren't any more ghosts!", said Jay. Cole smirked, and the four set off. Zane was quiet throughout the journey, barely saying a word. That wasn't so unusual of him, especially lately. PIXAL asked a few questions along the way, mainly about the logistics of his plan, and of what they would do once they arrived at the Temple of Airjitzu. Cole had answers to none of these questions. Truth be told, they were walking into the unknown. The only one who wouldn't stop talking was Jay. "Who do you think possessed Kruncha? What's going to be at the Temple of Airjitzu? Where do you think Garmadon is? What do you think Pythor is doing? Do you think that the others know we're gone?"

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the Temple on Haunted Hill.

"We will need to use airjitzu to reach it," said Cole to Jay and Zane, "PIXAL, you can use the Samurai X mech."

"I am not sure that I will be able to use airjitzu in my current state," said Zane with a sigh, "I will ride with PIXAL." Cole and Jay flew up to the temple. It had seemed like forever ago that they had been there, or even used airjitzu for that matter. After all that had happened since they gained the Scroll of Airjitzu, it really did feel like it had been a lifetime. PIXAL and Zane were right behind them. They arrived at the floating island, but their former base was not as they remembered it. It was covered in a green smoke, dark and ominous. Jay gulped.

"I thought you got rid of all the ghosts, Cole!", said Jay, "Why is there a spooky green smoke?!"

"I suppose now would be a good time to tell you something," confessed Cole, "Yang is still in there."

"What?" Yelled Jay, his eyes wide, "We trained in a Temple with Master Yang? But he's totally evil!"

"No, he's not," said Cole, his arms crossed, "Did he ever try to kill you when we lived here? Of course not. He made many mistakes, yes, but he has more than made up for them. He stayed cursed forever as a ghost to help turn me mortal again. That's the part of the story I never told you about that Day of the Departed."

"Of course," said Zane, "That explains the supernatural readings I used to get when we lived here. I always wondered if my sensors were haywire from the previous ghostly activity in the building."

"I am not going in that haunted temple again with that crazy old man," said Jay defiantly, "I am not turning into a ghost!" Cole winced a little, the trauma of their first visit to the Temple piercing into his mind. Jay's expression became a little softer after seeing his reaction.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine, Jay," said Cole, accepting the apology. He knew Jay never meant him any harm. Cole reached for the front door of the temple. It flew open, revealing the grand opening hall. On the opposite side of the room from the doors, Yang stood. But, wait, something was wrong.

No, Yang wasn't standing.

He was being held up.

He was shackled to the wall.

Yang looked up at Cole, his eyes a light green, and a single word escaped his lips,

"Run."

In an instant, the entire room flooded with water.


	3. Who You Gonna Call?

**Derpidot: The creepy factor has, indeed, ramped up. There should be some more spooky moments in the future.**

**Mouth of Lightnin: Glad you enjoy! It will get darker soon, just you wait! I'm glad you liked my remark about Jay. I hoped someone would pick up on it. Thank you so much for the reply!**

**For You Blue: I hope you continue to enjoy! I suppose we will all see where the story takes us...**

* * *

Cole was awake, but dared not open his eyes. He was dead, he must be. There was so much water. Absolutely no chance that he wasn't caught up in it, washed away with a one-way ticket to the Departed Realm. Of course, ghosts couldn't touch water, he must be dead. All Cole could remember was the panic that shot through his body as he saw that room flood. But, no, that couldn't be the case. Cole could hear voices. Familiar ones at that. A woman's voice, robotic almost. And a high pitched, shrill voice. That must have been Jay, and PIXAL must have been speaking before him.

Cole opened his eyes to see three friends staring down at him. They all smiled. Of course Cole wasn't dead, he wasn't a ghost! He hadn't been for quite a long time. He was safe. The moment of panic subsided.

"Cole!", exclaimed Zane, "You are awake!"

"What happened?", asked Cole, his back aching and his head throbbing, "I can't remember."

"We went to the Temple of Airjitzu," began Jay, "And you opened the door. Yang was standing there. And suddenly, BOOM, a million gallons of water gushed down from the ceiling. It hit you directly. Knocked you clean out."

Cole shot up. "Yang! Is he okay?"

"Cole," said PIXAL in a soft tone, "My calculations suggest that there was a 100% probability that he was unable to escape." Cole sighed. It was his fault the ghost had died. Yang tried to get involved with whatever was going on with Cole, and he had paid the price. "I am sorry," PIXAL added.

Zane, PIXAL, and Jay had not known Yang. In fact, their only encounter with him had been quite a foul experience. But seeing Cole's face, each of them knew that Yang must have gained Cole's trust, truly redeemed himself. They all shared a moment of silence for a lost ally.

"What do we do now?", asked Jay, "Is it back to The Monastery?"

"You three can go back," said Cole, "But I am going to find who killed Yang. And, well, I need to know what reopened my scar. I am not going back to being a ghost."

"We will not go back without you, Cole," said PIXAL. Zane and Jay nodded in agreement. Cole would never admit it, but he was glad to have some friends with him. This journey had just gotten a whole lot more complex.

"If we need to know more about ghosts," Jay chimed in, "I say we go to Stiix. Ronin rebuilt his shop there. He knows more about ghosts than any of us. Probably even more than Master Wu."

"That's actually a pretty good idea," said Cole in agreement.

"You don't have to sound so surprised," said Jay, pretending to be offended. Cole knew that, on the inside, he was swelling with pride to have come up with a viable solution to their predicament.

"Then let us go," said Zane, matter-of-factly, "We should all know the road to Stiix."

"Ah, great memories!" Jay said nostalgically.

"Oh yeah, I loved being a ghost, scared to die at any second if I touched a drop of water," retorted Cole.

"And I loved being stuck in Zane's head," said PIXAL sarcastically. Zane looked offended. "Not that it was the worst thing in the world. I just prefer having a body," PIXAL amended.

The four walked for quite a few hours. Every so often, when they were tired, they would use their elemental dragons, but the Samurai X mech could run out of gas at any moment, so they had to fly sparingly so as to be able to stay together and keep PIXAL's mech running.

"Remember when we fought that ghost with the chain at this water tower?" Said Jay, referring to their first fight with a real ghost. Their only other encounters with ghosts had been when they summoned the ancient serpentine generals to defeat Chen, and when they had been humbled in a fight against a possessed Lloyd.

"I remember," said Zane, "This was when we discovered their weakness to water." They continued on, reminiscing about the past. It really did help Cole get his mind off of Yang for a little while. Suddenly, they heard a sound.

"What have we got here?", came a voice from behind them, "Some Ninja?" The four ninja turned around to see the Mechanic standing before them, as ugly as ever. He still had his stump leg, robotic arm, and nindroid eye.

"Mechanic?", asked Jay, befuddled by the villain's sudden appearance, "When did you get out of jail?"

"I have my ways," he responded, "Nya here by any chance? I've been dying to see her." The Mechanic gave a menacing smirk. Jay angrily ran towards him, lighting forming in his hands. Suddenly, a figure flew from the air, plucking Jay off the ground.

"Who are you?", asked Jay, his legs dangling.

"I am Fugi-Dove!", responded the strange flying man, "My caw fills the night! Wait, you don't remember me? But we are mortal enemies, you and I, Jay. You left me to rot in that prison, foiling my evil plans!"

"Not ringing a bell," said Jay. Fugi-Dove let out an angry squawk, flying Jay high into the air.

Back on the ground, Cole, Zane, and PIXAL faced the Mechanic. Cole ran towards him, only to be blasted by a laser cannon he had attached to his arm. Cole fell back, grunting with pain. PIXAL, in her mech, jumped up in the air, crushing the ground next to the Mechanic, who dodged out of the way just in time. He grabbed the mech with his metal arm, sending a jolt of electricity through it. The mech suddenly slouched as PIXAL was ejected, hitting the ground and rolling.

"Seems like somebody got an upgrade!", remarked Cole as the Mechanic ran towards Zane. The Nindroid held out his arms, only to be tackled by the cyborg. PIXAL sprinted to Zane, punching the Mechanic off of him. Cole raised a hand, trapping their foe in a pile of dirt and rock.

"Are you alright?", asked PIXAL, her hand on Zane's chest. She wore a distressed look upon her face as she examined her fellow nindroid.

"I am fine," Zane responded, looking embarrassed, "I just didn't see him coming." Cole looked inquisitively at him. Certainly that couldn't be true. Zane never let his guard down. The three heard a crash behind them, and turned to see Fugi-Dove sprawled upon the ground, electrocuted.

"You will rue the day you messed with me," said Fugi-Dove, "I will make you pay, Jay. You will never escape the Fugi-Dove!"

"Okay Pigeon-Man," said Jay, "Whatever you say." Cole smirked at his friend, who smiled broadly back at him. Zane got back up, and PIXAL returned to her mech. She pulled a lever on the side, and it once again sprang to life. They tied up the two criminals, and continued on their way.

After what had seemed to be at least six hours, the four travelers arrived at Stiix. Cole was always amazed by the town. It was entirely built upon the water, yet was constantly proven to be structurally sound. Cole was glad to be able to walk there without the fear of death looming constantly over, well, under him. However, he could help but still be a tad unsettled by the place.

* * *

"Ronin's shop is this way, I think," said Jay, pointing forward and to the right. The others followed his lead. After just a couple of minutes, they saw a shop near the center of the town. It had a giant aeroblade protruding from the roof.

"I think we found it," said Cole. Zane walked up to the door and opened it. Inside sat a man with long, brown hair, stubble across his face, and a heat-detecting lens across one eye. He was sitting back in a chair, behind a wooden desk. There was a wall of steel weapons behind him. As the door opened, he looked under his red straw hat at the approaching customers.

"Long time, no see, Ninja," said Ronin in his deep, raspy voice, "How can I be of service to you?"


	4. Armed and Ready

**For You Blue- I know right? Ronin is awesome! Believe me, you'll be seeing much more of him throughout the story...**

**Derpidot- I did get some inspiration from Way of the Departed. However, I've only read the first two chapters, so I really only got the idea of the scar reopening from that. I agree that the basic plot line there has huge potential!**

**Mouth of Lightnin- Hello again! I'm glad to see you liked Mechanic and Fugi-Dove coming into the story! Perhaps they will be back later...**

* * *

"Where are they?", asked Lloyd, exasperated. It had been hours since the Ninja at the Monastery had woken up, and there was still no sign of Cole or Jay. Upon further investigation, Zane and PIXAL had gone missing as well. There was absolutely no sign of them anywhere.

"Did they go to the city without us?", asked Kai, "Oh, I'm going to kick their—"

"That's not something they would do," said Lloyd, "Especially Zane. He wouldn't just leave without telling us."

"Wouldn't he?", remarked Kai, "I seem to recall a time that he ran off after a certain falcon with absolutely no explanation." Lloyd looked at Kai with a puzzled expression. It appeared that they had never told him the story of how they had first encountered the Destiny's Bounty. Kai often tended to forget that before Lloyd was the Green Ninja, he was just a bratty kid who wanted nothing more than to follow in his father's footsteps.

"All of our vehicles are still here," said Nya, returning from PIXAL's secret bunker, "The mechs are here, the bikes are here, PIXAL even rebuilt the Land Bounty down there! Wherever they went, they must have walked."

"But where could they have gone?", inquired Lloyd.

"I am surprised at you, Lloyd," came a voice from behind the Green Ninja. Lloyd jumped. It was Master Wu. "You are usually very observant. Did you not notice that Cole was acting strangely? I certainly did, as did Jay. I am sure that Cole intended to search for whatever was bothering him. The other three likely confronted him on his way out, and then joined him on his quest. But there are very few things that could trouble Cole so much as to try to leave this place, alone. Perhaps he fears the return of the Oni, though I doubt that they will ever return. They fear the power of Spinjitzu now more than ever. My guess would be that they went searching for answers about a new foe. Most likely a ghost to get Cole so unnerved. Where could he be headed?"

"Stiix?", asked Nya.

"Yang's Temple!", exclaimed Kai enthusiastically.

"Perhaps the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master?", added Lloyd, "Or the Whaling Alps!"

"All wonderful guesses!", said Wu, "Now how about you find out if any of them are right?"

"An adventure?", asked Kai, "I'm in!"

"Me too!", said Nya.

"Let's do this," said Lloyd, tightening the knot of his belt, "Ninja, Go!" They all spun out of the Monastery at exceptionally high velocities, ready for adventure. Wu's hat almost flew off his head, but he caught it just in time. The Ninja's Master laughed. He was proud to see his students passionate to start a new quest. Perhaps they would no longer waste their true potential.

* * *

"Hey Ronin," said Jay, smiling, "We need some help with a ghost, um, thing."

"I figured as much," said Ronin, "Come with me." He pointed towards a back room, into which Jay, Cole, and PIXAL followed. Zane remained behind, looking uncomfortable.

"What's wrong Sparkles?", asked Ronin, as he looked at Zane, "Still don't trust me? I don't do that stuff no more. And, for what it's worth, I still feel regret selling you out to Chen." Ronin turned to PIXAL, "And you as well. I never expected him to dismantle you like he did."

PIXAL smiled at him. "Do not worry. I have seen what you have done since then. I believe you have made up for your mistakes."

Zane nodded to Ronin, managing a slight smile, and followed the others into the room. Surely the nindroid couldn't hold a grudge against Ronin after all these years. Yet, still, Zane couldn't help but be a tad wary around him.

"So, what's your ghostly issue?", asked Ronin. Cole stepped forward, pulling back his hair so as to fully reveal his scar. Ronin's eyebrows raised as he gave a sharp whistle. "That is a nasty cut you've got there. Thought that thing went away a while ago."

"It did," replied Cole, "But now it's back. And I've been having some really weird dreams."

"Not good at all," said Ronin, "Let me look at my notes. You four are welcome to look back there for some new deepstone weapons." He pointed to another door. The four walked through to see a man clad in red, working at an anvil. All four walls of the room were covered in weapons. The man in red turned around.

"Mr. Smith?", asked Jay.

"Jay, isn't it?", said Kai and Nya's father, "And please, call me Ray."

"What are you doing here?", asked Jay.

"Well, we work with Ronin!", he responded.

"We?", asked Jay.

"Why, yes," responded Ray, "My wife, Maya, and I. Did Kai or Nya not tell their friends where their parents were working?"

"No they did not," responded Jay, "I'm going to have some words with them when we get back home!" Ray laughed.

"So I assume Kai and Nya are not with you four?"

"No," said Cole, "Not this time." At that, Maya walked in the room.

"Hello," she said, "It is nice to see you again! Though I don't think I've met you before." She gestured towards PIXAL. In response, she placed her Samurai X helmet upon her head. "I see! The mystery woman is revealed! What do you all need?"

"Some help from Ronin," said PIXAL, "On a ghost related problem. Though we have our concerns turning to Ronin for help. He has been known to be, well, unreliable at times."

"Don't worry!", said Ray, "He is no longer the crook he once was. He is making an honest living. We have been splitting the profits of the shop three ways, and he has not tried to take any more than his fair share yet." All four Ninja looked skeptical. If they knew Ronin, he was discreetly taking some extra coin without the two elemental masters noticing.

"Come here," said Maya, "If you are fighting off ghosts, we may have the perfect selection of weapons for you." She opened up a curtain, revealing a series of weapons on display, all made of deepstone. Jay was the first to run up, grabbing a pair of deepstone nunchucks.

"Awesome!", he said, flinging the nunchucks around himself and striking a pose. Zane walked up next, picking out a classic ice-infused aeroblade, identical to the one they had used in their fight against Morro and the Preeminent. Next, Cole went up, finding both a hammer and a scythe made of deepstone. He thought for a moment, and decided to take the hammer. Ever since wielding one for the first time, he had preferred the style of the blunt weapon to the sharp point and curved design of the scythe. He replaced the hammer on the shelf with his own and strapped the deepstone variant upon his back. Finally, PIXAL approached, reaching for a katana. Maya grabbed her arm, stopping her from taking the weapon.

"Sorry hun!", she said, "But we are saving the katana for Kai, and the trident for Nya."

"That is quite alright," said PIXAL, directing her gaze to the other weapons on the shelf. She grabbed a chain weapon with a curved blade on the end.

"I have never seen you use one of those before," said Zane.

"I figured it would be fun to experiment," said PIXAL with a grin. She nudged Zane, who grinned sheepishly back at her.

"What is that even called?", asked Jay, pointing to the weapon in her hand.

"It is a Kyoketsu-Shoge, typically used for long range combat," she responded, "A true ninja weapon. You really should know what it is, Jay."

"A Kyo-what now?", said Jay, flabbergasted by the name.

"A Kyoketsu-Shoge," responded PIXAL. Jay sighed, still unsure of what she had said. Suddenly, Ronin walked in, holding a strange device in his hands. It appeared to be some form of headset, with wires protruding from it, and a strap along the back.

"Alright Cole," he said, "We are going to have a look into those dreams of yours."


	5. Dreams and Visions

**Derpidot: I have heard of the Chinese DoTD, but haven't seen it yet. I'll definitely give it a watch soon though!**

**Mouth of Lightnin: I like to assume that Jay grabbed the Kyoketsu-Shoge without having any clue what it actually was XD. I actually got my inspiration for using the weapon from Daredevil on Netflix (If you've seen the show, it's the weapon used by Nobu in season 1) Anyways, enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Cole strapped the device on his head, just as Ronin had instructed. He attached two wires to either temple, each of which delivered a small shock.

"It is completely safe," said Ronin, "It's supposed to give a hearty zap!"

"If you say so," responded Cole, not quite thrilled with this plan. His dreams had been so sporadic, he never remembered the majority of them. For the ones he could remember, they were scrambled within the depths of his brain. If he reached for them within his memory, they would just rearrange, falling further from the grasp of his memory.

"Ready?", asked Ronin.

"Ready as I'll ever be," responded Cole.

"Good luck," Cole heard Jay say, just before he lost consciousness.

* * *

Cole awoke in a beautiful green field. Yellow flowers dotted the landscape, and mountains made a perimeter around the horizon. The sun shone a bright orange and the sky was blue and cloudless. Birds chirped. It was the most peaceful place Cole had ever seen.

A woman walked out from behind a tree. She wore a bright dress, a mix of orange, red, and gold. Cole couldn't make out her face, but she brought with her a kind of serene grace, as though the earth she stood on complemented her fair looks. She walked towards Cole in what was realistically more of a gliding motion. Her head stayed perfectly still as she moved. It was a perfect type of walk.

"Who are you?", asked Cole as she approached. The woman reached him, and yet the sun still shone so bright upon her that her face was totally obscured. Cole reached out to her, to try to block the sun, when suddenly she stepped back. A shadow fell upon the field. She let out a scream as she began to fall into a green smoke. Cole tried to reach her, but could not make it in time. He watched her fall into a green abyss. Cole tried to yell for her, but no sound escaped his lips. And everything went dark.

* * *

Cole was terrified. He was dangling upside-down from the ladder of the Destiny's Bounty. He was hoping beyond hope that he would be able to climb back up. This couldn't be the end. It simply couldn't. They had all endured so much. The Great Devourer, the Overlord, Chen, Morro, the Time Twins, the Sons of Garmadon, their trek through the First Realm. Cole had come back from the dead before, for goodness sake. This couldn't be the end of his story.

He heard a scream from Jay as he felt the ladder slacken. His heart dropped. It had broken. The rope had severed. Cole was hanging onto nothing. He was falling. He was going to die.

He fell past the NGTV News building, and into the Black Cloud of the Oni. It was so hard to breath. You would think it would be peaceful right before you died. It wasn't. Cole just felt afraid, and alone. No air would enter his lungs as he helplessly watched the Bounty fade from view. He could no longer see his friends. His arms flailed. The ground came ever closer. Cole had to think happy thoughts. Yes, happy thoughts. If you're going to die, you may as well die happy. He thought of his friends, of Lloyd, Kai, Nya, Zane, and Jay. He thought of his mentor, of Master Wu. He thought of his mother, who he supposed he would soon see again. He thought of his father, who always believed in him. And he hit the ground.

But he wasn't dead. How was he not dead?

* * *

Cole was in a forest, covered in snow. There were tall birch trees all around him. He knew this place. It was the birchwood forest in which they had found Dr. Julien's old house. It was where Zane had found his true potential.

He looked behind him to see an army of Serpentine. Anacondrai warriors, identical to those who had fought in the Serpentine Wars. Leading them was an Anacondrai with bright green eyes. Arcturus. In front of Cole stood another army, and a familiar one at that. It was the old alliance of elemental masters, led by Wu and Garmadon in their younger states. Immediately in front of Cole was a man with dark grey skin and deep purple eyes. His hair was somewhat messy, and his attire was simplistic. Cole, with no control of his body, jumped up and slammed his fists upon the ground.

The earth beneath Cole shook, a narrow fissure opening up in a zigzagging pattern in front of him. On the opposite end of the fissure, three jagged rocks protruded upwards. Two slashed across the purple-eyed man's face, and the third impaled him in the stomach. The man gasped, looking at Cole with shock, and slumped over, blood oozing from his stomach, his face torn, the skin broken, a truly horrific sight.

Cole had killed that man.

* * *

Cole was in a room surrounded in glass. No, not glass, pure crystal. Where was he? Cole looked into the crystal, only to see no reflection looking back at him. Cole jumped back. This was the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master, the place where they had found the Realm Crystal.

Cole backed up, nervous that he could not see his reflection. He was no longer a ghost, shouldn't he should be able to see it?

Unless the sign of the mirror meant something a tad more sinister.

No, he couldn't think like that. There was no reason for him to think that. Though, maybe there was? He always knew that "turning invisible" couldn't have been what the reflection meant. That was just a way for him to deal with his own fears and insecurities. It had worked in the past, after their fight with Morro, but he knew it wouldn't work now. Not after he had regained his mortality. Cole stepped back, his foot sinking down on something. A button.

The wall behind him slid open, revealing a long chamber. At the end there was a dark, metal scythe emitting a black shadow, dancing like flames around it. The mere sight of the weapon made Cole feel uncomfortable. The Master of Earth moved towards the scythe, only to be knocked on the head by a blunt object. He fell to the ground, his vision blurry. Cole blinked rapidly, but could not regain his senses. He was able to make out the sight of a hooded figure grabbing the scythe. The mysterious figure walked toward Cole, and swung the scythe directly down upon his skull.

* * *

"Cole. I suppose you think you are very clever, huh? The device upon your head will allow you to remember these dreams, yes? Not that it matters. The plan is in place. You can not stop it. You can not stop me. The Master of Earth, one of the greatest protectors of Ninjago, has wronged me. And _you _don't even know who I am. But, you will. You will. I know your friends will try to stop me as well. They will fall alongside you. There is no escaping me. And once I have had my revenge, _HE _will be released. And once he is free, Ninjago will finally be at peace. For the only true peace is in uniformity. And I have been given the perfect opportunity for my revenge. You have a debt to pay, and I am here to collect. The pieces have aligned for me. I give you 12 hours, Cole. That is all you have left. And you won't even remember me once you wake."

* * *

Cole awoke shivering, a cold sweat covering his entire body. He was in Ronin's shop, the strange machine still strapped to his head.

"I, remember," said Cole.

"Do indulge us," Ronin said with a somewhat cocky smirk upon his face. Cole recounted what he had seven as the others looked inquisitively at him. None of them understood his first dream that he had. As he recounted the story of his Fall, Jay placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him an encouraging nod. Jay had thought Cole had died that day. It hadn't been an easy time for any of them. Zane was especially curious about the dream in the woods. He was always eager to find more memories of his father, although he could not find a valid explanation of the dream.

"Finally, I had a dream that I was in the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master," said Cole, "And I found a secret door. There was a room, and there was a scythe there. It was, well, unnerving. It had a black shadow emanating from it." Ronin's eyes widened, as though Cole had said something preposterous.

"Did it have a skull on the handle?", asked Ronin, his voice suddenly harsh.

"Yes," responded Cole, one eyebrow raised. Ronin gasped. His eyebrows lowered into a concerned expression.

"The Scythe of Necronis," said Ronin, "It is a legendary weapon, forged thousands of years ago by Necronis, the Master of Death. Nobody ever knew what became of the weapon, or it's master. It is said to possess the power to control death. It can turn any mortal being into a ghost in one strike. Or, turn a ghost into nothing but a memory. And I don't just mean sent off into the Departed Realm. I mean gone, forever." Cole shivered.

"WHAT?!", yelled Jay, in shock, "You're telling me that Cole had a dream about a long forgotten weapon that had the power to kill a person in one hit? AND it can KILL A GHOST?! This is too much! Way too much!"

Jay continued ranting on in the background as Ray walked up to Cole from the opposite side of the room, followed close behind by Maya.

"I think I might have something to add," said the former Master of Fire, "You said the man in your third dream had Grey skin, correct? And black, uncombed hair?"

"That's right," responded Cole.

"Did he have dark purple eyes?" asked Maya.

"He did," said Cole, surprised at her remark. He did not expect much insight on any of his dreams. Maya and Ray nodded to one another. They clearly knew something that the others did not.

"That must have been Umbra," said Maya, looking sternly at Cole, "The former Master of Shadow. He fought alongside his sister, Callista. She was a good friend of ours. She, too, inherited their fathers element. We never got to know him too well. He died in the Serpentine Wars, in a battle against the Anacondrai. A battle we had in the Birchwood Forest." Cole gasped. That must have been what he had seen, the death of Umbra at the hands of the Anacondrai. His scar suddenly burned, as if to confirm those suspicions.

"But why?", asked Cole, "Why would I see an old Elemental Master in my visions?"

"I suppose we'll find out soon enough," responded Ronin.

"Yes, Cole, we will find the answers we are looking for," encouraged PIXAL, "I promise you, we will see this thing through to the end." Cole smiled at his friend. He and PIXAL had never been particularly close, though they had always been friendly. Perhaps, once this was though, he would get to know her better.

"If we're going to see this through," said Cole, "I think we know where we need to go next. If my visions are correct, whoever this enemy is must be going to the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master."

"It is logical that they would be after the Scythe of Necronis," said Zane. Cole thought it was odd how quiet he had been acting lately.

The thought quickly faded from his mind. Cole had a great sensation as though he were forgetting something. Something important. But, whatever it was, he could not remember.

* * *

**Update: I had a lot of fun writing this one! Let me know what you all think of this one, I tried out a bit of a different style for the dream sequence. If you like it, I have something pretty similar coming up later on in the story. Stay Tuned for more! -Chin**


	6. The B Team

The two criminals were tied together, beaten in the battle against the Ninja. They had no hope of rescue. They were going back to prison.

"Those damn Ninja!", said the Mechanic, "I swear, when I see them again, I'm going to kill 'em! You hear me Dove? Kill 'em!"

"Yes, yes!", responded Fugi-Dove, "Jay will pay for his misdeeds against me! Against us! We will find our revenge! We shall be the ones with the final squawk!" The Bird Man let out an obnoxious squawking noise, to which the Mechanic winced and groaned.

It was sunrise. Shadows peeked out from every crevice, were thrown across the ground by every rock protruding from the landscape. Suddenly, as if spawned from the darkness itself, a figure arose. It looked to be composed of pure shadow, yet it had defined features. A face, a human face torn with atrocious scars. The figure was tall, a defined, muscular build formed from the darkness. Even with such a large figure, the man looked insubstantial, as though you could walk right through him.

"_Tell me where he is_," said the figure, in a harsh voice. It was a horribly guttural, croaking sound, a voice that made the hair on your neck stand straight on end.

"Who are you talking 'bout?", asked the Mechanic, bravely. Fugi-Dove was cowering, his eyes closed. He was afraid of this man.

"_The Elemental Master,_" he said in his horrid voice, "_The Master of Earth_."

"And what's it to ya?," asked the Mechanic, "We might know where he is, we might not. But we'll tell you everything we know if you let us out of these binds? Sound like a deal?"

The shadow laughed. It was cold and humorless. As his mouth went upwards into a smile, the scars shifted, revealing some bone and long dried blood underneath.

"No deal," said the man, as he suddenly lurched towards the Mechanic. The shadow grabbed the robotic side of his head, and ripped a large chunk of it off, revealing the machinery underneath. The Mechanic gave a grunt of pain, twitched, and his body slumped as sparks flew from his head. The Fugi-Dove saw his friend be torn apart, and his eyes filled with dread as the shadow looked at him.

"_Perhaps you will cooperate,_" said the demon, "_Unless you wish to be torn apart as well_."

"T-they went to," began Fugi-Dove.

"_Who?_"

"The n-ninja," responded Fugi-Dove, quivering, "They w-went to S-S-S-Stiix."

"_Your services are appreciated,_" said the shadow, "_But you are expendable._"

The screams of Fugi-Dove could be heard for miles around.

* * *

"What the hell happened here?", asked Kai, looking at the ruined abandons of the Temple of Airjitzu. Their former base was nothing but a pile of rubble fallen from the sky, surrounded in an eerie green smoke. "This is so weird! The others must be off on some crazy adventure while we're stuck back here, trying to figure out what they've been up to. What are we, some kind of B-Team?"

"It's wet," said Lloyd, his hand rested upon a plank of wood, "Why would it be wet? There are no lakes nearby."

"I have a bad feeling about this whole thing," said Nya, looking around uneasily. She was frightened by the whole ordeal, especially since her boyfriend and her best friend seemed to been centrally involved in it.

"I suppose Wu must have been right," remarked Lloyd, "This seems to have to do with ghosts."

"Thanks, Lloyd," said Kai sarcastically, "Nya and I couldn't figure that out from the ominous green smoke." Nya shot Kai a sharp glance as Lloyd bowed his head. Kai defensively raised his arms. Lloyd had always been unsure of his leadership skills, and his total unawareness of the situation they were in did not help.

"Well, I guess we had better move on," said Nya, beginning to walk in the opposite direction, "Stiix is this way. Maybe Ronin will know something about this." Lloyd and Kai were wary of visiting Ronin. They had never trusted him after the ordeal with the Obsidian Glaive, in which he had taken their memories in a master plot to take over Ninjago. It didn't help that he had effectively sold their friend into slavery to Chen as well. Nya, on the other hand, had grown to trust Ronin. He had been influential in helping her achieve her true potential. Sometimes she wondered if the crook had taught her even more about her Elemental Powers than Master Wu had.

"Let's go then!", said Kai, nodding reassuringly at Lloyd. He trusted Nya's judgement on the issue. He always trusted his sister.

* * *

"Over here!", said Lloyd, suddenly running along the path to the water village. The other two ninja were right behind him, also spotting the two nearby figures. As Lloyd approached them, he realized that something was awry. The two figures were slouched down, and tied together. Lloyd gasped as he realized that they were quite familiar, the Mechanic and the Fugi-Dove.

A large chunk of the Mechanic's metallic head had been ripped off, sparks flying from newly exposed wires. The cyborg was slumped down, seemingly unconscious. Nya approached precariously. She couldn't tell if he was simply knocked out or, although she hated the thought it, dead. Nya didn't like killing, even against enemies. She had only killed ghosts, but they were already dead, right?

Fugi-Dove was in even worse condition. He was bleeding from the side of his head, and his arm had been broken. Kai put a hand on Fugi-Dove's wrist, and jumped back in shock.

"He's…", began Kai, taking on a grim expression, "Dead."

Nya's eyes widened as Lloyd's stomach dropped, feeling as though he were about to puke.

"Something really bad is going on," said Lloyd, "And I'm not sure we're ready for it."

"We have to go," said Nya, a note of newfound determination in her voice, "Whatever did this is more than likely after our friends. It's up to us to help them."

"You're right, Sis," said Kai, putting a comforting hand on his sister's back, "We do need to help them. And Stiix seems like the best place to go to do that."

"I agree," said Lloyd, still feeling a bit queasy, "And we should go right now." They set on their path again, feeling more uneasy than ever. Whatever their friends were caught up in was far greater than they had anticipated.

* * *

Fire. The entire town was ablaze with fire. Kai, Nya, and Lloyd ran toward Stiix, and Nya shot a beam of water at the flames engulfing the town. It did nothing. Suddenly, a man and a woman burst forth from the fire and ran towards the Ninja.

"Kai, Nya!", yelled their mother, Maya, "It's so good to see you!"

"Although," added Ray, "This may not be the best time. We have something of a situation on our hands."

"We've noticed!", replied Kai, "How did this happen?"

"Your friends visited us," said Maya, "Cole, Jay, Zane, and PIXAL, I believe. They were on a quest, fighting ghosts. Ronin helped them out, and they all departed for the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master, including Ronin. About an hour later, some ghosts showed up in Stiix! And now, well, here we are!"

The three ninja looked astounded.

"Take these!", said Ray, opening the tarp he had been holding to reveal some deepstone weapons. Kai took the sword, Nya took the trident, and Lloyd grabbed a pair of sais. He had always wanted to wield the three pronged knives, but had never gotten a chance to wield them in battle. It finally seemed as though he would.

Suddenly, a pair of ghosts emerged from the burning town. One lunged at Nya, and the other shot an arrow at Lloyd. Lloyd blocked it with a sai, and lurched forward, stabbing the ghost through the stomach, to which it disappeared in a puff of smoke. Nya shot a bolt of water at the ghost attacking her from the ocean below. The ghost dodged out of the way, only to be struck and disintegrated by another shot of water from Maya. Another ghost flew out from the smoke.

"Water Ninja!", it yelled, "Two of them! Retreat!" Dozens of ghosts flew upwards from the town, flying off to the west. One more emerged from the fire, and toward the five Elemental Masters. It was less of a ghost, and more of a shadow, with a terribly ravaged face.

"_So,_" it said in a disgustingly harsh voice, "_You have the power of Water behind you, eh? Not that it matters. I heard you talking. Your friends are going to the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master, right? Clearly you all work well as a team. I'll need something more than firepower to defeat you. We can arrange that. We will meet again._"

The shadowy figure began to fly off. Nya shot a blast of water after him, but he disappeared before it hit him. A cold laugh could be heard with the wind as the fiend escaped their grasp.

* * *

Pain. So much pain he had been in, for so long. He finally had his chance for revenge. He was not going to waste it.

Poison, Metal, Nature, Mind.

It wasn't too surprising to Umbra that they had turned on the Elemental Masters. They had always been loose cannons. They had always been unloyal.

But Earth was another story. He seemed a good man. He had gained Umbra's trust. He had been his friend. And then, he had killed him.

Umbra had years to wallow in his self-pity, his misery, his anger, and, most of all, his lust for revenge. He was given his chance to get this revenge. He was not planning on wasting it.

"_We must make a new stop,_" said Umbra to the ghosts that were following him, "_In order to win this fight, we must have more power. To beat these so called Ninja, we must have more than physical strength. We must outwit them. And I know exactly who has the ability to outsmart anybody. We are going to give the Master of Mind a little visit._"

* * *

**Sorry this took so long! School had been rough, midterms coming up this week. I'll try to publish a bit more frequently (Hopefully weekly) from now on. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you next time!**


	7. The First Tomb

**Mouth of Lightnin: I hope you still continue to enjoy! I'm sorry these are taking so long to come out, but school/life have been very time consuming lately. I try not to use too much language, only when the occasion calls for it. Thank you so much for your reviews by the way! They mean a lot to me.**

* * *

Neuro, the Master of Mind, was sitting in his study, as he did every night. He lived a quiet life, a peaceful life in the far remote reaches of Ninjago. He had never been fond of the city. Far too loud and busy for his liking. Neuro only got involved in the affairs of others if it was truly necessary, if the fate of all of Ninjago was at stake. He had never understood the lifestyle of the ninja. They fought crime daily, used their elemental powers constantly, even traveled across realms. Neuro though that it must be very tiring.

The Master of Mind was reading a book. A good one at that. It told of the deep history of Ninjago, an account of events starting with the formation of the land at the hands of the First Spinjitzu Master. Neuro himself was in the story, a major contributor in the battle against Chen's Anacondrai army. Suddenly, Neuro fell back in his chair. He had felt something stir in his mind's eye, as though a hundred voices had entered his head. Neuro never got visitors. Something unusual was happening.

He stood up, on high alert. Someone was close by. Neuro closed his eyes, listening for the thoughts of those around him. He felt a presence, very close, but could not make out the jumbled web of thoughts inside. It was as though they were surrounded by a shadowy cloud, blocking his entrance. From the cloud, he made out a single phrase.

"Time to die."

Neuro barely jumped out of the way in time. A dark figure, composed of pure shadow, had jumped from the ceiling, slicing downwards with an iron sickle.

"Shade?", asked Neuro, confused. Surely this couldn't be the Master of Shadow. Shade was a close friend of his, after all.

"_Not Shade,_" said the man. Neuro could make out scars upon his face, "_Just Shadow._" The man lunged forward, and Neuro reached out to his mind. The shadow staggered back, clutching the sides of his head. He grimaced, clenching his eyes shut. Neuro was pushing him back, forcing thoughts into his head. The shadow was almost gone, had almost retreated back through a window.

And the shadow opened his eyes, very widely. Neuro could see that they were a bright purple color. Darkness began to flow from the figure, along with a green smoke. It appeared to Neuro that he was a ghost. The figure took a slow step forward, off-balancing Neuro. He took another step, slightly quicker this time. And another. And another. Neuro was suddenly on the defensive. Soon, the figure overtook him, backing him against a wall. The shadow grabbed Neuro, placing the iron sickle against his throat.

"Who are you?", croaked Neuro, having difficulties breathing. The sheer force at which the shadow had overcome him had left him breathless.

"_I am Umbra,_" said the shadow, "_Your grandmother was the previous Master of Mind. She betrayed me. She betrayed us. You will pay her debt. You are necessary to our cause. I require your element._"

"You can not take it from me," said Neuro, "You possess no power to do so. You are not the Master of Amber."

"_There are other ways to gain power,_" said Umbra. The Master of Shadow began chanting strange utterances, not too dissimilar to the chants of the Anacondrai Cultists

Neuro felt a sudden dread. He could feel his power weaken, as though held on by nothing but a string to his soul. Umbra smiled.

"_There is one final step to the ritual,_" said the shadow. Neuro closed his eyes and accepted his fate as the sickle plunged into his heart.

* * *

"So this is the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master?", said Ronin as the five travelers emerged from the water and into the grotto that housed the First Spinjitzu Master's final resting place. Ronin had accompanied them in his R.E.X. Jet, which also happened to have submarine capabilities.

"Been a while since we've been here!", said Jay, enthusiastically.

"Yes," said Zane, "Our battle with Morro was quite a long time ago. We have been through much turmoil since then!"

"That's for sure," said Cole, giving his friend a smile. Zane smiled back, but his eyes remained dim. Although he was a robot, Zane still found ways to convey emotion. His eyes were the most human part of him. By looking into them, you could tell what he was feeling, what he wanted you to know, without saying anything. Right now, they were empty. Cole gave him a concerned glance, but Zane shrugged him off, nodding in reassurance.

"You said you stepped on a secret switch, right?", asked Ronin, looking at Cole, "Do you happen to remember where it was?"

"Somewhere near the crystal mirrors," responded Cole, "But I'm not sure exactly where. Ronin, I should warn you, those crystals show you the future. They show you what you will become."

"Thanks for the warning," said Ronin, looking wholly unimpressed, "But I don't think I'm going to be changing any time soon. Besides some grey hair or a few extra pounds, that is."

"I can't wait to see my reflection again!", said Jay enthusiastically, "I look so cool in the future! I hope I'll still have an eyepatch."

"Why wouldn't you?", inquired Cole. A strange look came over Jay's face, his eyes a widening and his skin becoming a tad more flush.

"No reason," said Jay, his voice a little more shaky than before, "I just really like eyepatches." Jay had done this in the past. Every so often, Kai, Cole, Zane, or Lloyd would say something that would make him act strange. It was always weird things as well, like pirates or genies. One day, Cole figured he would get to the bottom of his strange behavior.

"Let's continue," said PIXAL, leading the way. She had helped them navigate the maze-like tomb before, from inside Zane's head. She knew exactly where to go, and the others didn't bother to argue with her lead.

They passed the statue of the First Spinjitzu Master, and entered the circular room which they had gone through so many years ago.

"Wait, what did we need to do here?", asked Jay, racking his brain to remember.

"We needed to use Spinjitzu to find which symbol was the correct one," answered PIXAL, "Zane, are you up to it? You have done this before."

"Not alone," said Zane, "We will do it together. You still hold half of my heart, PIXAL. We are always stronger together." He reached out his metal hand, and PIXAL took it, a wide smile coming across her face. If she were human, tears would be flowing from her eyes. The two nindroids linked arms, back to back, and began to spin. Their Spinjitzu was more powerful together than any Ninja's was alone, and it knocked Cole, Jay, and Ronin off their feet. The tornado stopped, and Zane and PIXAL pointed toward the door with the Yin Yang symbol.

"This is the way," they said simultaneously. The five adventurers walked through the door, PIXAL in the lead and Cole in the rear. Jay nudged Cole, smiling at him.

"They're so cute together!", exclaimed Jay, gesturing at Zane and PIXAL, a look of childlike joy on his face, "Are Nya and I that adorable?"

"Of course you are buddy!", said Cole, encouragingly, "You two belong together. I can't wait until the Yin-Yang ceremony!"

"Hey," said Jay, looking a bit more serious, "I wanted to talk to you about that."

"What's up?", asked Cole, puzzled. Jay couldn't be having second thoughts about it, could he?

"This ceremony is huge. It means that Nya and I will be together forever. That's a pretty long time! You're my best friend Cole. You always have been. I just want to ask you, can you be my Best Man?" Cole's eyes widened and his mouth dropped.

"Of course!", he said, the moment of shock subsiding, "I had just assumed it was going to be Kai, but I suppose he's helping Nya prepare."

"Yeah, Kai's planning on walking her down the aisle. And Zane is conducting the ceremony. He has the whole thing in his databank. Lloyd already said that it should be you. He said we were all brothers, but we were more like twins. He has a point, in a way." Cole smiled.

"Ninja hug?", he asked, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Ninja hug." The two friends embraced.

"You guys are slower than my grandmother!", Ronin yelled out from ahead, "You'd better hurry up!" Cole and Jay ran forward to catch up with the others.

They arrived at the Maze of Crystal Mirrors after quite a long walk. Luckily, PIXAL had led them well, and they ended up right where they needed to be.

"Let's look for this switch," said Cole, "It's most likely hidden in some secret crevice somewhere."

"You all heard him!", said Ronin, waving his hand in a circular motion, "Let's move it! Zane, go west, PIXAL, go east, Jay, go to that southwest hall, Cole and I can take the northwest one."

"You got it boss," said Jay with a small salute, marching off in the indicated direction. Zane and PIXAL also went to their desired locations, leaving Ronin and Cole to search together.

"Let's find this scythe," said Ronin, "It's going to be worth a fortune!" He began to walk off, but Cole put of his arm, blocking the path. "What's the big idea?"

"We are not selling the scythe," said Cole adamantly, "We need to destroy it. It can not get into the wrong hands. You told us what it can do. If those legends are true, I'd hate to think what would happen if it ended up with somebody like Pythor!"

"Fine," responded Ronin, defeated, "I'm just sayin', if we need a quick buck, we always have a backup plan, right?"

Cole gave him an exasperated look. Ronin shrugged defensively and kept on walking. Soon, they reached another fork in the maze. Cole went left, while Ronin went right. Cole walked for a little while, and nearly ran headlong into a crystal wall. He stopped just in time, staring into a void that would have housed his reflection. Cole sighed. Still, his future appeared to be empty. He reached out to the crystal, his fingers barely an inch away from the wall. Suddenly, a faint image of a hand appeared their, reaching out to his. He touched it, and the hand was visible. It was gloved, a dark black cloth wrapped around it. Even though the hand was just a reflection, Cole felt the heat emanating from it. Suddenly, his arm passed through the wall, and he stumbled into a small room. It looked identical to the one he had seen in his vision. He stared at the crystal mirror, amazed to see that he, indeed, had a reflection. He was much older, smiling, wearing a suit and tie, quite similar to the outfit his father often wore. Above the reflection, words were etched into the crystal.

_Fate can always be altered_

Cole was amazed, taking a step back in total awe. Perhaps his fate wasn't sealed. Maybe he didn't have to die. He stepped upon a button on the floor, opening a secret doorway behind him, revealing a long hallway. At the end, there sat a black scythe, shadow permeating through it, surrounding it. Cole tried to step forward, but his body became rigid as a voice shot through his head.

"_Thank you, Cole! This is what I have been searching for. My employer will be very pleased. And now that you've led me here, I can make you suffer. There is just one more thing for me to collect. I will see you soon."_

Cole's stomach dropped, as he ran to the mirror he had entered through. He tried to walk through, but found that it was once more solid. He frantically tried to smash on the crystal, to no avail. He could see his friends all looking through the maze. Jay was looking at the crystal and smiling. Clearly, his reflection had not changed. Cole looked up, and saw dozens of ghosts swooping down from above, led by a shadowy figure. The figure flew behind Jay, placing a hand on his head. The Master of Lightning slumped to the floor. Cole yelled, as he saw the figure go up to Zane, PIXAL, and Ronin in a similar fashion, all of whom fell to the ground, unconscious. Cole saw the figure look directly into his eyes and smile, disappearing into the darkness behind him. He reappeared directly behind Cole, placing a cold, ghostly hand upon his shoulder. Cole looked behind his, discerning his deeply scarred face and bright, purple eyes.

"You're Umbra!", he said, "The Master of Shadow! Why are you doing this?"

"_Like so many before me,"_ said Umbra, "_I wish for revenge. My anger has festered for years. Your own grandfather killed me in spite, leaving me scarred for an eternity. It only seems fair I should return the favor."_

Umbra placed a hand on Cole's forehead. Cole let own a cry of agony, pain piercing into his brain, clouding his thoughts. And suddenly, everything was dark.


	8. The Darkness of Minds

**Mouth of Lightnin: Glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I hope you are still enjoying the story, even with such infrequent updates... Anyways, I hope you like this slightly more experimental chapter!**

**Spacey no Ocean: I will certainly continue!**

**ProfessorYeti: Everything has a plan for this story, and I'm sure it'll go in some unexpected directions...**

**Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy the chapter -Chin**

* * *

Cole was falling once more into the black cloud of the Oni. He didn't know how he had gotten there, but he knew that his life was over. He knew that this was the end. Nobody could save him now. Cole was sweating, terrified of what was to come. His breathing was rapid, irregular. His arms and legs flailed, it felt as though he were falling in slow motion. He couldn't die. He was afraid to die.

He fell through the cloud, and it was dark. So very, very dark. Cole could barely tell if his eyes were open. He shivered as he fell, the cold air piercing through him. The ground had to be close, he could feel it creeping closer. He was falling. He would die.

And Cole was in combat against Yang. The old master was throwing everything at Cole, the Yin blade slicing through his sword as though it were nothing. Cole tried to use his Earth Punch, but could not find the strength. Cole wasn't strong enough. He was too afraid to die.

Yang knocked him to the ground, and gave a harsh laugh as he flew towards the rift. Cole lunged at Yang, but missed. He pounded the ground as he watched Yang fly from the Temple. Cole put his arms behind his head and began to break down. His friends would never see him again. He would be forgotten forever in this horrid place, forgotten and alone.

And Cole was on a staircase, alongside Kai, Jay, Zane, and Lloyd. One of the Green Ninja's legs was broken. They were ascending a tower, a massive black dragon perched atop it. Their foe seemed impossible to defeat. Suddenly, Cole was hit by some sort of missile. A dark purple goo surrounded him, and he felt his mind begin to rip away from himself. He couldn't feel himself. He was just angry, and scared.

* * *

"Is anybody there," asked PIXAL. She could not see anything for miles across the flat, plain environment she was currently standing in. Standing wasn't quite the right word, though. PIXAL had no body. She was just a programmed entity, no physical form, in the vast atmosphere of Zane's mind. She didn't like being lost here. She did not care for it at all.

She loved Zane, she always had, but once she had been disassembled by Chen, she never would have expected it to be this way. Being a bodiless mind is no way to live. She couldn't speak to anybody, not even Zane, lost in the depths of his enormous mind. She could not feel. She could not walk. She was lost, perhaps forever. Yet, she would never die. She barely even existed.

And that terrified her.

* * *

Ronin gasped for air. He was being dragged down into a great abyss but thousands of withered, decomposing hands. They all wanted him to be destroyed. Perhaps he should be. He owed them. He had made many mistakes in his life, never considering the consequences. Perhaps now they had caught up to him. He had let every one of them down. He had failed them.

From the sea of hands, four rose out. One clad in green, one in red, one in black, and one in blue.

"You let them find us," said black, "I suffered because of you." Suddenly, the figure in black began to convulse, his visible skin beginning to decompose. He toppled to the ground, the other three toppling alongside him.

Another figure rose, this one wearing white.

"You killed me," he said, "You sold me. You caused so much pain." He fell to his knees, and began to fall apart. His arm fell off, and a leg, and, finally, his head fell from the socket, oozing a dark black oil. The oil reached Ronin's foot, and he backed away, breathing heavily. He bumped into a sixth figure from behind, jumping into the air and turning to face it.

It was a woman, wearing a gray and blue Gi, her face zombified, distorted and mangled almost beyond recognition. But Ronin knew who she was.

"Nya?"

"Yes, Ronin," said the zombified Nya, "You will fail me, as you have failed all the others. I will die, and you will not be able to stop it."

She lunged at Ronin, who fell backwards, writhing on the ground in a state of pure panic. He had caused so much pain.

* * *

The villagers screamed for mercy. They begged to be spared, but the Ice Emperor did not heed their demands. His informant at his side, the Ice Emperor slaughtered every last one of them. He watched as icicles stabbed through their hearts. He murdered mothers in front of their children. He killed entire families. He destroyed the houses, eliminated all signs of civilization, tore apart their books and their food and any memory of what the once were. None would betray his power. Vex smiled at the Emperor.

"Well done, my Lord," he said, in his silky voice, "But we have much more work to do. We must be sure to maintain your rule forever. All of your people have betrayed you. Next, we shall destroy the Formlings. They have proven to be disloyal to your rule."

The Ice Emperor smiled. Somewhere inside, he knew that this sentiment was a lie. Zane knew that this was wrong, that he was murdering innocents. But he did not fight for control. He just allowed this to happen. For once, Zane could take the easy way out. Always, he sacrificed for his friends. He had been torn apart and put himself back together. For once, he let someone else take the reigns.

And an entire world died for his selfishness.

* * *

Jay began to sob. After all he had been through, he couldn't save her. Nya was dying in his arms, venom drenching her chest. She gasped for air, and Jay couldn't save her. How could he? He was always the useless one. He couldn't save Zane from dying at the hands of the Overlord. He couldn't stop Cole from becoming a ghost. What had he ever accomplished in the team? Anything he did, the other ninja could do better. Lloyd had saved the world. If he was Lloyd, Nya wouldn't be dead. Nadakhan would kill them all. Jay was going to have to watch the world burn, knowing it was all his fault.

He was a failure. He was useless.

But wait.

This isn't where it ended.

Jay had gotten out of this before. Somewhere in his mind, a memory stirred, one of triumph, of victory. He had saved Nya. He had saved the world. Nadakhan had been lost forever, because of his final wish. Jay had won. If he was so useless, how could he have beaten such a formidable foe? Jay had to stop feeling sorry for himself. It did not do him any good. He was a pivotal piece of the Ninja team. He was not useless. And he heard a scream of defeat coming from some far part of his brain, as a great burden left his soul.

* * *

PIXAL's consciousness was drifting further and further apart. She couldn't feel herself. She was just becoming part of the machine, a piece of the system rather than her individual self.

"PIXAL," a voice called out from the void, "You are not alone. We are here."

"Zane?," asked PIXAL, her spirits once again rising, finding her soul once more. And she rose up, out of the darkness, the nothingness, and once more into the world.

* * *

Ronin was backed against a cold, stone wall, the zombified figure of Nya above him, taunting his failures.

"You're nothing, old man," said the apparition, "You have failed all of Ninjago. Do you really think any of us would ever forgive you? After all that you've done. You truly are worthless. YOU ARE W—"

A blade sliced through the chest of the zombified ninja, as it fell to the floor, vanishing in a puff of dark smoke. Another figure stood behind them, a slightly blood, stained blade in their hand. They dropped it, and Ronin heard it clatter to the ground.

"You owe us nothing."

The figure reached out his hand, and Ronin took it. He felt himself flying upward, reaching reality and leaving his dark fears behind.

* * *

And Cole was falling once more, from a small cliffside. Jay was standing above, a look of horror on his face. Below Cole was a pool of water. It was a serene setting for the most part. Birds were singing, and the sun was shining. But Cole was dead. His ghostly form meant that the water below would mean his demise. Cole had never before felt such terror. He knew he was dead. He had to accept that. But he couldn't.

"You won't die today, Brother."

Cole heard the voice of his friend, as a hand grasped his own, preventing his fall into the lake. He wouldn't die today. He couldn't die. He looked down at himself. His body once more became whole. He was mortal once again, and he felt the crystalline floor beneath him once more. He looked up to see Jay standing above him, PIXAL and Ronin right behind.

"You're okay, Cole," said Jay, smiling at his friend, "You're okay."

"How did you get out?", asked Cole, "Umbra put us all under his hypnosis. How did you break free?"

"I just realized that my greatest insecurity was a fiction," said Jay, "I took control of my mind by facing my fear. That was enough to drive Umbra out. And it was enough to save my friends."

"Where's Zane?", asked Cole, suddenly aware that the Nindroid was not with them. Jay pointed across the cavernous maze, toward their friend, who was in a ball upon the ground, quivering in fear, particles of ice flying around his body. PIXAL gasped, and Cole ran to him, but was blown back by a gust of cool air.

"I couldn't get to him either," said Jay, "Whatever he's seeing must be really bad."

"I know what he's seeing," said PIXAL, "I'm sure I can reach him."

"How do you know?," asked Ronin.

"Just trust me," responded PIXAL. She walked toward Zane, getting dangerously close to the sharp shards of ice that surrounded the air around him.

"You did not kill them," she said, "It was not your fault. You were tricked. Vex deceived you! That is a burden we must carry as Nindroids. We can be reprogrammed, but we shall always remain. Remember, Zane, the Overlord corrupted me all those years ago. But you saved me! And Lloyd saved you in the Never Realm! Yes, people are dead at your hand. But they are NOT dead because of you! You were just a vessel, used by a man of evil! Zane, you must believe me. I have known you for so many years now, loved you for so many years. Truly, you must understand that I would never lie to you. If you will not save yourself, do it for me. I can't live without you Zane. When I thought we lost you, I could not sleep. I could not live. Please, you are worth living for. I need you Zane. I need you." She began to break down, falling to her knees, crying, though no tears could come out.

"I need you Zane. I need you"

* * *

The Ice Emperor heard PIXAL's plea. Zane heard her plea. He was a fool to think that he could let Vex take control, that perhaps, he wouldn't be missed. He wanted to survive, though not because he was worth it. Because the one he loved needed him. He would not live in self-loathing, he would not be that selfish. He would survive. If only for PIXAL, he would survive. And Zane returned.


	9. Home in Peril

The resounding noise of metal hitting metal clashed through the air as Lloyd and Umbra struck blades. The Green Ninja frantically blocked the constant barrage of strikes with his twin sais, while Umbra retaliated each block with another swing of his sickle. They were evenly matched in combat, neither able to gain the upper hand.

Beside the two battling opponents were Kai and Nya, each fighting a half dozen ghosts at once. Umbra's minions were strong, but the Fire and Water Ninja were stronger. Kai was able to keep their attention as Nya blasted them with spurts of water, sending them back to the Departed Realm. However, there were far too many to defeat using this method alone, and the two were soon overwhelmed, throwing everything they had at these oncoming opponents.

Lloyd was beginning to tire. He had exerted most of his strength, yet the shadow he was fighting still seemed to have his stamina, teleporting through the darkness to attack Lloyd. Suddenly, the Green Ninja felt a twinge of pain in his head, as Umbra put a finger to his skull. Lloyd could feel Umbra attempting to penetrate his thoughts, force him to lose the battle, but he was not that weak. Lloyd forced Umbra out, and the dark figure became enraged, and even more ferocious in his onslaught. The Chosen One could not last much longer.

Suddenly, Umbra was thrown off guard, falling to the ground. He had been hit by a blast of lightning, thrown at him by Jay. He had arrived to save Lloyd, Kai, and Nya, alongside Cole, Zane, PIXAL, and Ronin. The ghosts divided themselves among the Ninja, but their army was soon stretched too thin. Nya quickly dispersed the trio that floated towards her, and moved to help Lloyd, who was visibly exhausted. Umbra focused his attention on Cole.

"_You are more resilient than I anticipated,_" said Umbra, "_Perhaps I should have listened to my master. No matter, it was fun nevertheless to toy with you. Now, the time for action has come. It is time to collect your debt._"

"Face me, Umbra," said Cole, his expression hardening, "You said my grandfather failed you, but I am different. My friends and I would not have hurt you the way the elemental master hurt you before. They were tricked by Chen in the Serpentine Wars! They were deceived, and turned on one another! Simply because you were caught in the crossfire does not give you the right to take lives."

Umbra's expression went blank for a moment, as though he had lost sense of himself. After a split second, his face contorted to show an expression of absolute rage, as he pointed the Scythe of Necronis towards the sky. A gust of wind sliced through Cole as he fell to his knees. His friends all looked towards him, most of the other ghosts having been dispatched. A dark void opened up in the ground where Cole knelt, and he fell through.

Jay was the first to run over to him, but the rift closed before he could get to it.

"What did you do?", he yelled at Umbra, who floated above, laughing.

"_He had a debt to pay, and I collected_," the shadow responded, "_Revenge. It always feels wonderful to enact it. My escapade in this realm is nearing its completion. If you wouldn't mind, I have but one more item to collect. Then His plan will begin._"

Umbra was cut off by a shot from Ronin's ship. It had fired a large blast at him, which the former Master of Shadow had barely evaded. Umbra gave a snarl and vanished. The few remaining members of his army flew off after him. Kai yelled out in frustration and kicked a rock across the ground.

"What now?", asked Nya, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"We get Cole back," said Lloyd, "No matter what it takes."

"How?", asked Jay, still kneeling on the ground Cole disappeared through, "We don't even know where Umbra went!"

"Don't be so sure about that," said Ronin, jumping into his airship, "That shot ol' R.E.X. fired didn't quite miss. It was a homing beacon, and it hit just where I wanted it to. It attached itself directly to that Scythe of Umbra's. Looks like he's headed for the Monastery."

"What could he want there?", asked Nya.

"Let's find out," responded Zane, "We need to stop this and save Cole. We must go to the Monastery."

PIXAL smiled at Zane. He seemed to have regained some of his former vigor, from before the incident in the Never Realm.

They all crammed into Ronin's ship and set off after the ghosts, towards the Monastery of Spinjitzu.

During the trip, Jay, Zane, PIXAL, and Ronin described the events that had transpired to Lloyd, Nya, and Kai, although the ladder did not seem all too interested, and merely scowled while looking out the window. Lloyd and Nya both inquired on some points, but none of the others had many answers.

"I am led to believe that Umbra was the Master of Shadow during the Serpentine Wars," said PIXAL, "He, along with Ray, Maya, Wu, and others, was betrayed. During this betrayal, the Master of Earth, Cole's grandfather, killed Umbra. That led to his hatred of Cole. However, I do not know how he crossed into our world from the Departed Realm, or what 'master' he serves."

"Almost here," said Ronin, pointing ahead. Jay gasped, and the Ninja all jumped out of the ship as soon as they could, leaving Ronin to land it in the training ground. Wu was standing there, facing Umbra and holding the Staff of Forbidden Spinjitzu. Golden flames danced upon his head, and shadows flickered around Umbra, holding his Scythe. Both charged at each other, and their weapons struck one another, sending a wave of energy out from the center, knocking the Ninja down. A momentous battle had begun.


End file.
